"Master, how long will it take me to get good?"One day a student came to learn martial arts from a famous master. The student was anxious to learn the art that the master taught. After practicing very hard for ...
Posted Apr 1, 2011, 11:22 AM by Aaron Vyvial

I JUST HAD THE PLEASURE OF TRAINING FOR A WEEKEND IN DETROIT AT MY KUNG FU NEPHEW'S MOY TUNG SCHOOL. THERE I GOT TO MEET AND TRAIN WITH ANDRE, A PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE THAT PLAYS WITH THE DETROIT LIONS. HE HAD VERY GOOD HANDS AND POSITIONS CONSIDERING HIS SIZE. HERE IS A SHORT ARTICLE ON ESPN THAT WAS WRITTEN ABOUT ANDRE AND HIS TRAINING. -- SIFU VYVIAL

DETROIT LIONS LINEMAN SPENDS TIME ON VING TSUN

BY JEFF ARNOLD FOR ESPN

He dabbled in martial arts as a kid and was intrigued by Bruce Lee movies. But it wasn't until he saw another movie, the 2008 "Ip Man" recently that the Detroit Lions defensive lineman discovered an ancient and once secretive form of training he hopes will help set him apart.

Fluellen stumbled upon the Detroit Kung Fu Academy during a Saturday-morning shopping trip. After one lesson studying Wing Chun, which combines grappling and striking, he was hooked. And with time on his hands during the NFL lockout, Fluellen has been able to focus on his new-found passion.

"The first couple of days kind of humbled me because even the littlest women, the littlest people can knock me off my stance, knock me sideways or pull me down," he said. "I was like, 'How is this happening'?"The storefront studio has about 50 students -- none of whom match up with Fluellen's 6-foot-2, 295-pound frame. But size doesn't matter.

Fluellen learned Wing Chun has more to do with technique than physical girth. His sifu -- or instructor -- Owen Matson, instructed Fluellen to not give up his centerline but rather, to protect it at all costs.

Fluellen came to view training partners not as fellow Kung Fu pupils, but as offensive linemen, pushing him to perfect precision moves.

Matson has seen Fluellen succeed at a form of Kung Fu other athletes struggle with.

"This doesn't look like what's on TV," Matson said. "But Andre knew it would be different. He values the tradition, he values the training and he digs deep. I often leave it up to the individual student to see how hard they will push. He pushes hard."

During a standard training day, Fluellen may take between 5,000 and 10,000 punches -- which he equates to fending off a similar number of blocks.

In time, Fluellen, who has registered 2.5 sacks in four seasons, anticipates Wing Chun will lead him to more success on Detroit's defensive line.

'When I learn the structure of Wing Chun, there's no telling what I will be able to do to offensive linemen," he said. "But I don't think you will see this catch on [with too many teammates] unless I come back with something like eight sacks this year."

Chike Okeafor has long admired the way Bruce Lee chopped down larger opponents, but he never knew what kung fu could do for his game until he checked out Sifu Eric Oram's Traditional Wing Chun Kung Fu Academy in L.A. three years ago while playing for the 49ers. "Learning the philosophy, I was like, man, this is exactly what I need. It's a form created for a smaller person to handle a larger person -- which sums up what I do," says the 6'4", 265-pound Okeafor, who works with Oram to prepare to take on linemen who commonly weigh more than 325 pounds.

"Wing Chun's concepts apply to football because players are in hand-to-hand battles," says Oram, who studied under Lee's teacher, William Cheung. "They're not fighting, but principles apply to focusing on balance, angles of approach and coordination of simultaneous deflects and attacks."

Okeafor, 28, says Wing Chun improves his reflexes, power and strategy. He had career highs of 47 tackles and eight sacks in '03 and has 5.5 sacks this year. "It's perfect because I'm not as strong as my opponent," says Okeafor, raised in West Lafayette, Ind. "The way to get around the size difference is efficiency of movement, straight lines and quickness -- I need to beat him to the punch." Here's how he trains to do just that:

1. MERIDIAN STRETCHES (WARMING UP) Before practice and games Okeafor does poses that stretch what he calls his "meridians" or "energy lines." Says Oram, "On a surface level he's stretching the underneath of the forearm and getting his hands, arms and wrists loose and relaxed. On an internal level he's stretching the lung, pericardium and heart and increasing circulation." (The forms and theories found on this page are described in detail on the academy's website, www.lawingchun.com.)

2. SHIL LIM TAO FORM (REACTION TIME) "The purpose of the exercise is to focus your mind, body and internal energy at the same place at the same time with minimum conscious awareness," says Oram. "Ultimately, the subconscious is the realm of the reflexes." The exercise is, in essence, a moving meditation.

3. GUARD POSITION (BALANCE) In this breathing and centering exercise, says Oram, "his conscious awareness is in the dan tien, the literal center of the body, about an inch and a half below the navel. That's where the center of your energy and your physical center of gravity are." Assuming this combat-ready stance, Okeafor guards his center while sparring with a fellow kung fu student, alternately taking strikes and striking back. When Oram's not there, Okeafor often spars with his wife, Stephane.

Chike's Choices

Okeafor, whose full first name, Chikezie, means "well made by God" in a Nigerian dialect, tries to live the truly good life:

• "I always eat organic," he says. "Natural is the best way."

• He replenishes his system with multimineral and herbal supplements and a protein supplement.

• To "link the mind, body and spirit" Okeafor meditates in the morning and evening. He also runs trails with his Great Danes, Mystique and King.

• In the off-season he does Pilates and also does yoga with Stephane. "She's getting into hot yoga," says Okeafor. "I think I'll try it."

• He drinks at least seven 16-ounce bottles of ultrapurified water a day.

• He is anti-anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen. "They're synthetic," he says. "They work for symptoms but have side effects. The body knows the difference between natural and synthetic."

• He runs on "cleaner fuel," though he's no extremist. Okeafor's favorite morning meal is eggs scrambled with avocado, tomato and cheese. For lunch he loves a turkey sandwich, piled high with swiss cheese, spinach, lettuce and pickles. Dinner? "I've spent a lot of time in the Midwest," says Okeafor, who went to Purdue, "so I have a lot of love for the old steak and potatoes."

One day a student came to learn martial arts from a famous master. The student was anxious to learn the art that the master taught. After practicing very hard for many months, the student said, "Master, how long will it take me to get good?" The master replied, "Ten years." The student then said, "What if I practice even harder than that?" The master replied, "20 years." The surprised student then said, "But what if I practiced the hardest I can practice?" The master replied, "30 years." The master went on to explain, "If you have one eye on your destination, then you have only one eye with which to find the way."

THE MORAL IS : You can learn no faster than to totally concentrate on what is being taught to you at the moment. Don't worry about what comes next. When you learn what was taught, then the next thing will come.

Hong Kong Airlines released a brand new TV commercial, to promote its service and new branding campaign “Fresh, very Hong Kong” with Wing Chun martial art artistes Rose Chan and Dennis To as its service promotion ambassadors.

With a combination of Chinese traditional culture and modern fashion style, Ms. Rose Chan, the actress of this TV commercial, shows a series of martial art moves while promoting the different destination routes of Hong Kong Airlines with a slight twist at the end. She represents a Hong Kong Airlines flight attendant.

Hong Kong Airlines also announce that Wing Chun class will be one of the basic training for all its flight attendants in an effort to improve body and mind. This is to meet the upcoming challenges ahead when providing the best of service to the customer under any circumstances during flight. The first course was conducted by Mr. Checkley Sin, the chairman of National Arts Holding Limited and also a master of Wing Chun. As an assistant teacher, Rose also led those flight attendants to a performance of Wing Chun to the guest during the press conference.

“We will bring more surprises to the public later, including a higher standard of in-flight services, with a fresh attitude, to reiterate our branding theme: ‘Fresh, very Hong Kong’.” Said Mr. Yang Jianhong, the president of Hong Kong Airlines.

Ving Tsun Airlines

Here is an interesting interview with Leo Imamura, the Master of the Brazilian Moy Yat Clan. It's an enjoyable discussion on the nature of Moy Yat, Ving Tsun and Kung Fu Life. The interview was translated and reposted by Thiago "Moy Fat Lei" Pereira (12G VT) on his blog

http://moyfatlei.blogspot.com/

In a exclusive for KIAI MAGAZINE, Master Leo Imamura spoke about the beginning of his carrer in martial arts, also about his first meeting with Ving Tsun and Grand-Master Moy Yat,about his plans for future as well.

Master Imamura said that started with japanese martial arts, like Judo, Karate and Kobudo, but he realized that his identification was with Ving Tsun.: "I first knew about Ving Tsun trough books 'cause the weren´t many masters of this art in Brazil.My frist Master was Li Hon Ki, who came to Brazil in 1979, when I started to practice Ving Tsun" - said him.

KIAI: And about grand-Master Moy Yat?

"The first time that I heard about him was through a book called Ving Tsun Kuen Kuit, that was different from others, 'cause that was not about techniques, but just about sayings from the Ving Tsun ancestors.

So, very impressed with the book, that was in my hand just by chance,I was in front for the first time the knowledge of a Master that was not just emphasizing the martial aspect of the Art.

'Cause I knew Ving Tsun at the time, as a very efficient art , spread by Bruce Lee, its most famous practitioner. As I have the first contact with Moy Yat's work, I saw that he used to emphasize internal factors.

In one side, he used to say that the objective of this art was reach the relaxation, 'cause the practitioner must be confident in his body without know the techniques for a effective self-defense. With this I dreamed about the day that I could meet him in person."

So, when I went to NY with Ling Wing Kay , I met his brother Albert Li, who knew a teacher who was a fella of Moy Yat in painting. Without planning, we pass along Moy Yat´s school. And Abert said: 'In this place there is a great Master. Dont you practice Ving Tsun?'So we stepped in. Someone received Albert, and this person introduced us to Moy Yat. After look me for while he said: Do you practice the Ving Tsun? -so he asked me to do the Siu Nim Tau. I did the SNT as I learned and he liked that. I was very touched 'cause he was a disciple from Ip ManI knew that in US he might be the only disciple who was following strictly the principles of Ip Man. And asked him to become his disciple, after asked my Si Fu Li Hon Ki permission to do that.

So, Moy Yat told me: 'Go to Hong Kong search for what you were looking for. If you dont find it, you are able to come back and become my student. But I dont have any place for you here, so you will have to sleep in kitchen' - I agree with that even being allergic to dust.

"I was recognized in HK , but did not find what I was looking for. It is not that in HK there ano no good teachers, but de difficulty about language ...So I decided to go back to NY so I started to train. I was very successful in HK but I was surprised 'cause at Moy Yat´s school , standarts students make me realized that I had no chance, becoming a basketball in their hand for the first 5 days.

I was very touched by Moy Yat who wanted to teach me, so I became his disciple for life."

KIAI: And how is the training with Moy Yat?

"One of the greatest surprises was that he said that I used to train too much. He said that I need sometime to walk, have lunch,etc. He wanted me to stay as far as possible from the techniques to something that he called Kung Fu Life.As in old times, no trough formal classes and seminars, but trough some informal way, appreciating the Kung Fu in a natural way.

This is the traditional way to teach Ving Tsun and the way that was used by Ip Man. I find out that just train and train, was not sufficient enough, I need to get better trough the comprehension of the nature elements, I mean, to use the Ving Tsun in my daily life.

A practitioner who trains there or here has difficulty in his beginning, 'cause he thinks very strange the technique just as a part of the training, wich englobes much more than that. At the first day, Moy Yat told me: " I dont teach Ving Tsun techniques, but I teach Ving Tsun". The practitioner must know when get the initiative and when obey , sometimes he will have to wait, sometimes he will have to act. But for that, the teacher has to have a lot of time for him. The teacher can not teaches as a hobby."

KIAI: And how is your lessons today?

"A lot of people what I´m gonna do in NY , if I´m already a representant of the style in South America and Master by Hong Kong. I am, one of the few Masters who has his own master still alive. Because of that I enjoy him.

I´m not going there to learn in seminars or get some new certificate, but I´m going there to learn more, and more, 'cause my Kung Fu will never be completed. Ip Man used to say that a man has the necessity to learn the origin of the water that he is drinking. Today, Moy Yat is the nearest part of the origin, 'cause he was Ip Man´s disciple."

KIAI: What are your plans for the future?

"Today, the Moy Yat Ving Tsun Kung Fu Association is a institute recognized by MYVTSSA , and it is the bigger organization of Ving Tsun in South America. That is just possible trough the effort of many disciples of mine and the support of my Master.

We are not here to show that we are best than the others. But to spread Ving Tsun for who is interested in follow this line, and for the people who believes that Ving Tsun is more than a fight system, and the Kung Fu is a way of life and not just self-defense.

I would like to invite anyone who loves Ving Tsun and Kung Fu to visit us."

Austin Instructors, Heath, Neil and Sifu Vyvial traveled by road to the Moy Tung Headquarters in Richmond, Va for a weekend seminar/celebration. It was conducted by the MY3 and MY4 generations in honor of Richmond's 25th anniversary and Grandmaster Moy Tung's Birthday. Grandmaster Moy Tung's extensive family and many generations were present from all over the country.

Activities included lots of kung fu conversation, full day's of physical training, lectures, and social events including an anniversary dinner and Dim Sum breakfast at Full Kee. Training took place at Byrd park, the Comfort Inn Grand Hall, the Richmond School and both Floors of the Kung Fu House. Also, a DVD and book are in the works to be produced for the event, filming and photos of workouts, lectures and even technique demonstration by Senior MY3/MY4 Sifus took place. T-shirts for the event sold out in about 10 minutes from what we hear.

Congrats and thanks to Moy Tung for 25 years of Kung Fu from Richmond, VA.